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Carrot Cake Roll

Sweetened cream cheese fills this ever so simple to make Carrot Cake Roll!

I got a letter last Thursday from Kayla. She seems to be enjoying at least a portion of basic training. She complained of all the running they are doing, but the PT isn’t so bad when it comes to push ups, etc. It was a relief to read, for sure. It was a much happier letter this go round.

She wrote Kelsie a separate letter, one full of heartfelt sweetness. She had written that she may get a chance to call over the weekend, if they earn one, from their inspection they had last week.

No phone call, so I am assuming that the inspection didn’t go so well. It really sucks that it’s one of those things where one person can mess it up for all of them. I know it’s all supposed to be a team effort when it comes to everything, but it’s so not fair.

I just have this fear that there is one bad apple, there without a family, who could totally care less about phone calls, so they will fail, just to make the others miss out on earning that call. <— Yea, I think way too into things. It’s a problem that I have.

I really wished she would have been here to have a slice of this carrot cake roll. She loves carrot cake, and I know she would have loved s big slice of this!

Of course that means that when she does finally get to come home, sometime this fall, that I’ll have to make this, and so many other things. She did say that the food there was pretty good, but that she misses my cooking. I bet!

We are staying at The Navy Lodge, where I believe we have a room with a kitchen. I’m thinking of just making her a good home cooked meal after her graduation, as opposed to going out to eat. I’ll ask her in a letter what she prefers.

Do you see that thick ribbon of cream cheese goodness?! Oh man, Kelsie and I literally scrapped the bowl clean on this one.

Don’t let the idea of a roll cake scare you. It’s really quite easy, AND IF, the cake sort of cracks on you, it’s ok, don’t stress. It’s pretty pliable, and can’t be “glued” back together with frosting. Plus when you place it in the fridge to sort of set, it magically puts itself back together.

I’m assuming there are like little cake gnomes that live in the fridge that get on their little ladders, and use the frosting to patch it up, from the inside. I mean, we all have gnomes in the fridge right? The ones that eat the food that we thought was in there, but is no longer there.

I’ll give you an example…when you thought there was one piece of cake left, but then when you go back to eat that slice, it’s just gone. See..gnomes!

Once you make one cake roll, you’re gonna want to start trying all sorts of recipes, because after all, they are just fun!

What other cake do you literally get to play with? Once this one bakes, you turn it out on a tea towel with powdered sugar, and then you get to roll it up. Twice actually. Kelsie really wanted to do it, but since I needed to take photos this time, I told her next time!

Honestly, she could have done it. It’s a lot like rolling a burrito up!

How to roll a cake without it breaking?

Lay out a clean kitchen towel (I keep one just for this) and dust it with powdered sugar. If you are rolling a chocolate cake, use cocoa powder.

When you take the cake out of the oven, immediately flip the sheet pan over on the towel.

While the cake is still warm, roll your cake using the towel to help you roll along the way. The cake will be more pliable while it’s warm, and will hold the shape as it cools.

When the cake is fully cooled, unroll it gently from and it should still have a slight curve, place your frosting or filling, and then neatly roll right back up.

Beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until nice and frothy. Stir in the flour mixture until combined. Fold in the carrots.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and spread a tea towel on a clean surface. Sprinkle it all over with powdered sugar, and gently turn the cake out onto the tea towel. Remove the parchment paper, and fold the edge of the towel over the short end of the cake, and begin rolling until it's rolled up. Allow the cake to cool completely in this rolled up state. At least an hour.

When the cake has cooled, prepare the frosting by beating together the cream cheese and butter for at least 2 full minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

Unroll the cake, carefully, and spread the cream cheese filling all over the inside of the cake. Using the tea towel to help you get started, start with the short edge, and begin rolling, slowly, until it's all rolled up. At this point, I usually wrap it in plastic wrap or foil, and place it in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight to help tighten the roll even more. Unwrap, and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

How many more weeks of BASIC does she have? My nephew just completed his BASIC training last winter. He came home for the holidays and now he’s back on base. We really miss him but we are so proud of him. On another note, I love carrot cake and I love cake rolls but I’ve never heard of a carrot cake roll. This recipe intrigues me, I may have to make it.

Carrot cake is one of my comfort food. There is just something about it that feels like home. I am so excited to try your recipe — this looks way delicious compared to the ones I usually have. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

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Hey, I'm Joanna, and I'm so glad that you stopped by! Here at Everyday Made Fresh you will find a variety of topics. However, my heart is in the kitchen so I like to share recipes for the busy family in mind. Most meals only require 30 minutes of your time, and the ingredients can easily be found at your local grocery store. Read More!